We hope these opportunities for professional growth and creative development will be helpful to our SIBlings. Please check back regularly to see new offerings and deadlines. If you would like to submit something scroll to the bottom of the page! 

CERF+’s emergency relief grants will focus on materials-based craft and folk/traditional artists that incurred significant medical expenses related to treatment and recovery from COVID-19 AND/OR experienced a recent, career threatening emergency, such as an illness, accident, fire or climate related disaster.

For the month of March Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) has partnered with Peters Valley School of Craft, Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft, Snow Farm: The New England Craft Program, Metalwerx, Lucy Walker Jewellery, and Touchstone Center for Crafts to offer six winners the opportunity to attend workshops at their choice of craft school in 2023.

Single raffle tickets start at $20 or you can purchase a bundle of 6 tickets for $100.

This raffle is perfect for anyone looking to expand their technical or conceptual skills. The winners will be chosen April 4th and will have 24 hours to select their preferred craft school certificate. Head to the link for details.

"Fire on the Mountain is an annual celebration of the art of the blacksmith...Each year, the festival contains blacksmith demonstrations, blacksmith vendor booths, youth and adult forge-off, hands-on tents, kids’ activities, food, and more... Thousands gather each year to watch world-renowned blacksmiths forging amazing pieces, using techniques that have been utilized for centuries.

Admission to Fire on the Mountain Festival is free to the public."

SIBs will have a booth at the festival where you can pick up information and merch! Also, SIBs governance committee member Lisa Geertsen will be one of the main demonstrators at this event. Starting at 10:30 am she will be sharing techniques for forging aluminum.

A monthly open forge event hosted by the Alexander Brothers. It is "a semi structured meeting of smiths. Someone teaches a technique and then everyone does it at home and returns the next month with their own practice piece “sketch”."

"Hundreds of crafts people gathered around to buy, sell and trade tools and materials.
Woodworking, Blacksmithing, leather Working and more. Come out and connect with some of Virginia’s best crafts people." This event is hosted by The Alexander Brothers, a SIBling shop.

This database is being organized and hosted by Funlola Coker, an accomplished metalsmith herself. Her invitation is as follows. "Are you a black metalsmith or jeweler? Do you know one? I would like to build a database, aka page, on my website (with links to relevant pages) where folks can find us easily. If you're interested, please send your info to info@funlolacoker.com, and maybe spread the word?"

RAW tools is a multifaceted organization centered around nonviolence. They operate firearm donation and disabling, nonviolence training, and partner with blacksmiths to turn donated guns into gardening tools which they sell to support their mission. SIBs is partnering with RAW tools to offer several opportunities to participate in this effort.

-Help host a gun to garden tool demonstration event.
-Make tools from gun barrels RAW tools will send you.
-RAW tools can also train folks how to disable firearms.
-Donate a gun to be disabled and forged into garden tools.

To express your interest in any of these options please visit the website and contact RAW tools at info@rawtools.org.

Blacksmiths are at risk of developing mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused from asbestos exposure that can take 20-50 years to develop. Due to its heat-resistant properties, asbestos was used extensively in blacksmith gear as well as the tiles in the floor/ceiling around the forge and work area.

Our website features extensive information on asbestos and we work 1-on-1 with individuals to help them find local doctors, treatment centers and support groups all at no cost.

SSMC is a community of practice for academic shop professionals and associates and this is the venue for collegial, professional discussion of providing and managing resources for making in higher education.

Membership is open to managers and staff of student fabrication facilities and affiliates in educational institutions worldwide. Manufacturers and vendors of equipment, materials and software of interest to SSMC members are welcome to participate and inform, but this is not a venue for sales and solicitations are not welcome. Go to the link, scroll down, and hit the blue "Join this group" button to join.

The Kentucky Crafts Encyclopedia is a portal to information about Kentucky craft practices, craft history, craft institutions, craftsmakers, and places that exhibit or sell craft products. Besides providing a basic overview of the topic, the site links visitors to other websites or places that supply more extensive information. This site is under constant development by folklorist Thomas A. Adler, Ph.D., of Lexington, Kentucky.

A glossary of information collected by a group of blacksmiths.

Open to anyone who wants to participate! This is a friendly and supportive online community where you can share information, ask questions, make friends, show off your work, or whatever!